Device for browning foods



May 22, 1934. s. c. ANDREW DEVICE FOR BROWNING- FOODS Filed March 3. 1932 Patented May 22, 1934 PATENT OFFICE DEVICE FOB BROWNING FOODS Sarah C. Andrew, Allentown, Pa.

Application March 3, 1932, Serial No. 598,604

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in cooking devices and pertains particularly to `a device for browning foods in the nature of meringues, custards or the like.

5 The primary object of the present invention is to provide a hand device by which meringues, custards or other baked foods may be readily browned after the food has been removed from the oven.

At the present time in the case of meringue pies it is customary to apply the meringue after the pie has been cooked and then return the same to the oven-for the browning of the applied meringue. This process requires great attention on the part of the operator. With the device embodying the present invention the pie may be completely cooked and the meringue browned without returning the pie to the oven simply by holding the present device over the top of the pie, the device being broadly in the form of an electric hot plate to which a handle is attached to facilitate the holding of the same over and in close proximity to the food. By this same means other foods may be readily cooked to brown the top surface thereof.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed descriptlon taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no mater'al departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims. In the drawing:- i

Figure l is a face view of the device embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the lin 2-2 of Figure 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 1 indicates generally a shell which in the present instance is shown to be of circular formation and having a top wall 2 and aside wall 3, the entire bottom of the shell being open.

Attached to this shell is a handle '4 which is preferably of tubular design so that electrc wires 5 may be readily.passed therethrough and into the interior of the shell 1 as illustrated in Figure 1.

Within the shell 1 is a plate body 6 which is formed of a suitable heat retaining and nonconductive material, such for example, as clay or porcelain. The outer face of this body 6 is provided with a continuous tortuous channel or groove 7 in which is an electric heating or re- 60 sistance col 8 which is connected with the electric wires 5 in the manner illustrated. The outer or bottom face of this plate 6 is flush with the bottom edge of the wall 3 of the shell, while the inner side is spaced a substantial distance from the Atop wall 2 of the shell to form an air space 9. The overall diameter of the plate 6 is also considerably less than the interior diameter of the-shell, thus leaving a surrounding air space 10 by means of which circulation of air will be 70 maintained about the heating element and in the shell.

The heating element carrying plate 6 is held in the shell and concentric therewith by means of the pointed screws 11 which are threaded 75 through the wall 3 of the shell and which have their inner ends forced into the edge of the plate 6 in the manner illustrated. By this means the plate 6 is suspended from three or more points from the wall 3 of the shell and is free of direct 80 contact therewith.

When thevdevice is not in use it is placed upon a supporting surface with the open side of the shell directed upwardly and in order to protect a supporting surface from damage in the event 86 that the shell should become hot the top wall 2 has secured thereto the feet l2 by means of the screw members 13. l

'I'he normal operative position of the device herein described is with the resistance coil car- 90 rying face of the plate 6 directed downwardly toward the food to be browned and for this reason the open side of the shell-has been referred to as the bottom thereof.

In practice, after the coil 8 has been made hot 95 by allowing electric current to flow therethrough the device is lifted by the handle 4 and held with the face of the plate 6 directed downwardly and in close proximity to the meringue or custard or whatever food is to be browned, until the desired degree of brownness is attained.

While in the foregoing description the shell 1 has been described as being circular, and it has also been illustrated as being of this configura- 105 Having thus described the invention, what opens at one point through the periphery thereof,

`claimed is:- a handle secured to the side wall of the body and A browning device `of the character described, having a -passage extending therethrough and comprising a relativelyat shell bodyhaving a top communicating with an opening in the side wall I wall and a side wall and having the bottom open, a of the body, said passage and opening aligning 80 diskbody oi.' insulation material oi athickness apwith the opening of said channel through vthe proximatingmore thanhalf the depth of said body periphery of the vdisk body, and an electric reand disposed within the body with one face ush sistance heating element disposed in said channel with the bottomedge of the body, pin members and having its ends passing therefrom to and 10 secured in the Wall 0f the bOdy and engaging the communicating with electric wires passing 85 wall of the disk member, said disk member having through said handle. the said flush face provided with a channel which SARAH C. fANDREW. 

